My #1 Tip for studio owners and busy instructors

I had the pleasure of teaching another instructor/studio owner who was visiting Wilmington last week. We met at a Pilates workshop last year, and I was so excited when I got her message that she was in town. She just wanted to come to In Balance to get a workout and be a student. Like so many of us, she teaches 30 hours a week and as a studio owner, she has a list of additional duties that never ends. We laughed about doing the studio laundry, filling the cleaner bottles and running the vacuum on top of paper work, teaching our clients, and organizing the studio schedule.

She looked at me with desperation in her eyes and asked, "What advice do you have for me after owning your studio for 15 years?" My advice was profound. I said, "Girl, I've got nothing!"

After 15 years, I have finally realized that the best advice I can give is to accept that you're never going to do it perfectly. I don't know how I've finally come to realize AND accept this, but I have. You're always going to be 5 duties behind where you want to be, and that's OK. Granted it can be embarrassing sometimes when a client asks where the towels are and they're in your dryer at home, but it's OK!

To leave you with some reassurance that I am always behind, here is my to-do list that did not get completed from last week:

Wash studio towels: They're washed and dried but smooshed in a bag behind the front desk.

Fill the cleaner bottles: There's about 2 more days worth of cleaner in there...that can wait!

Vacuum: I'll get that done after the workshop I'm doing at the studio today. (maybe!)

Enter invoices into Quickbooks: Maybe Wednesday???

Throw away the old printer and the new printers' box: Still sitting on the floor in the office.

Change the studio chalkboard: It still says 2017 Let's do this! Sheesh!!!

Guys! I could go on and on but I won't. You get the idea. The point is I'm doing the very best I can, and I'm not beating myself up for all the things I have to get done but are still on the list. I'll rewrite a list today, prioritize, and we'll just see what the week holds.